OU Notebook: 12-round decision: Longhorns
Comments 
23
Published: October 13, 2008
Two ranked teams. Plenty of haymaker plays. One squad left standing.
Sooners offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson likened the latest edition of the Red River Rivalry to a heavyweight fight, lost when Texas managed a late flurry.
Featured Video
Advertisement
Stat check
Both the Sooners and Longhorns carried no-huddle spread offenses into the game, although each went about things at a different pace.
In the end, it made for an intriguing set of stats.
Texas finished with a major time of possession edge: 37:10 to 22:50. Yet in their almost 15 minutes more of time with the ball, the Longhorns ran just three plays more than the Sooners, 70-67.
Which is it?
Texas coach Mack Brown recalled a conflicted conversation he had with a friend in trying to describe what kind of game would unfold at the Cotton Bowl.
"Someone asked me if it would be a shootout,” said Brown, "and I said, ‘Boy, I don’t know, you’re talking about two really good defenses.
"They said, ‘So you think it will be hard to score?’ I said, ‘Boy, I don’t know, those are two really good offenses.’”
Shootout won out, with the 80 combined points the most in the history of the storied series.
Lewis on the spot
Sooner linebacker Travis Lewis produced a 19-tackle day, then nailed another target in playing prophet with the latest rankings.
"Losing to Texas, the No. 5 team in the nation,” Lewis said, "I think the voters are going to see that and hopefully be on our side.”
Despite the loss, OU slipped just three spots from No. 1 to No. 4.
On the bright side...
OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said Texas quarterback Colt McCoy’s big day did not come at the expense of Sooner cornerbacks Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks.
"They played well, outside of maybe one ball for each guy,” Venables said. "They’ve continued to play really well for the most part.”
By John Helsley
Toolbar sponsored by: David Stanley Ford
Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.
Voters will never put two teams from the same conference in the national title even if they were obviously, unarguably the two best teams in college football. It won't happen.
And I was mistaken. The faked punt ended in a field goal for Texas, not a touchdown. The touchdown I was referring to was on the drive prior to the punt fake. So that was only a 3 point swing instead of 7.
So I ask, how is it the coaches fault? The leader wasn't on the field most of the second half and Colt McCoy is TWICE the quarterback he gets credit for. He's a fighter and a competitor. Not coming up with an interception isn't bad for the Sooner defense, but all the tipped balls they got was great for such a tremendous quarterback. That being said, Texas doesn't exactly have crap coaches. Wil Muschamp is the same person who came up with the scheme that beat OU in the national title in 2003 and kept Auburn's defense one of the country's best for years. And Texas' offensive coordinator has put together some of the most explosive offenses in college football year in and year out.
You'd figure such and "avid" OU fan could see when OU was just outplayed. The refs sucked, no lie there, but it was for both teams, not just one. OU doesn't win this game by three touchdowns in Norman with good refs. Give Texas some credit. I hate them as much as anyone, but good Lord...be a fan, not a spectator that comes up with excuses.
All that being said it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that our kickoff coverage is really not the problem. It's the kicker. People keep making comments about not kicking it deep enough, well yeah thats part of it but the main thing I see is not kicking it high enough to give the coverage team time to make the play. As things are right now even if the opponent's return man makes the catch at the 2 yard line, the kicks are such line drives that the returner already is at full speed by the time our coverage gets there and they have already over-ran him. At that point the return man has a great advantage. Cheer up people we are still #4 in the nation, have a great QB, and if we can shore up our defense and get this KR problem under control this team can still finish near the top.